1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an apparatus and method for enabling a plurality of analog and digital sets of services that can be utilized simultaneously on a single telephone line.
2. Description of the Related Art
Presently, telephone companies can offer only one set of analog services to any and all POTS-type devices on each subscriber line wire pair at the premise, because current POTS service requires one (1) line per POTS service set. This is because device types are mutually exclusive, and consequently only one device type can utilize the service line at any one time (i.e. one active telephone, or a single fax operation at a time). A further limitation exists for the telephones, such that all extensions are connected to the same conversation. Presently if multiple sets of services are desired, an additional line is required for each additional set of services. This is most evident in situations like a second loop for a fax machine or a xe2x80x9cteen linexe2x80x9d to separate parent telephone calls from those of children in a household. There are added costs for each additional line.
Also, telephone companies today cannot command any additional service revenue from the usage of extra phones, modems, and fax operations on a single line. Until now, telephone companies could not offer any extra beneficial sets of service to the premise on a single line. Accordingly, there is a need to develop an apparatus and method to transmit a plurality of data signals in parallel with the analog POTS signal, thereby providing multiple telephone-type sets of services on a single telephone line.
With such an apparatus and method for enabling simultaneous multiple sets of telephone-type services on a single telephone line, the telephone companies can offer numerous sets of services to any/all devices on each wire pair at the premise.
Certain objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description that follows and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned with the practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentality""s and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
To achieve the advantages and novel features, the present invention is generally directed to a data communications apparatus and method that allows a user to utilize simultaneously multiple telephone-type services to any/all POTS-type devices on each wire pair at the premise. The present invention provides for the ability to add separately addressable POTS devices on a single service loop. This can be accomplished in at least two ways: first by the use of a multipoint protocol or second by Frequency Division Multiplexing.
One embodiment of the present invention accomplishes this by using a multipoint protocol and providing each premises device with a unique device ID that is separately addressable.
Another embodiment of the present invention accomplishes this by using the frequency division multiplexing (FDM) method, that utilizes a device that assigns an available frequency range, within the bandwidth of the communication medium, for each device that is separately addressable.
Another embodiment of the present invention accomplishes this by using the time division multiplexing (TDM) method, that combines separate signals (i.e. analog and digital) into a single high-speed data transmission in which the transmission time is broken into segments. Each segment carries one element of one signal. The separate signals are sampled in order at regular intervals that are then combined in the single high-speed single. Each time period is then assigned for each device that is separately addressable. The above TDM technique does not provide simultaneous access via connection to phone jacks. The modem apparatus used in this embodiment includes a memory containing a plurality of program routine sequences and a processor that performs the selected program routine sequences to enable the simultaneous multiple access techniques disclosed by the modem described in commonly assigned and co-pending U.S. Patent Application entitled, xe2x80x9cAPPARATUS AND METHOD FOR COMMUNICATING VOICE AND DATA BETWEEN A CUSTOMER PREMISES AND A CENTRAL OFFICExe2x80x9d, Ser. No. 08/962,796, filed on Nov. 3, 1997, herein incorporated by reference, and the modem described in commonly assigned and co-pending U.S. Patent Application entitled xe2x80x9cAPPARATUS AND METHOD FOR A MULTIPOINT DSL MODEMxe2x80x9d, Ser. No. 09/036,226 filed on, Feb. 26, 1998, herein incorporated by reference.